Yesterday, unions across King County voted to expel SPOG, the Seattle police officers’ union, from the Martin Luther King County Labor Council. This is huge news. For decades, SPOG has played a racist, reactionary role within the labor movement, and too often the Labor Council has trailed behind, or been outright opposed to, racial justice policies. With this vote, the Seattle labor movement recognized the racist role SPOG plays and took an important step forward in fighting for racial justice and Black liberation. A huge shout out to the Highline Education Association who brought forward the motion, as well as all of the rank and file union members, activists, and DSA members who made this possible.
Last night, DSA members and other rank-and-file union activists hosted a Kick Out Spog! Rally at CHOP (Capitol Hill Organized Protest), with incredible speeches from BIPOC rank-and-file activists. Keep an eye out for interviews and reports coming soon, and sign up here to get regular dispatches from our blog!
A win for DACA!
This morning, the Supreme Court voted to reject Trump’s attempt to end the DACA program. This is a huge win and we celebrate in solidarity with our Dreamer and immigrant community members. You can find out more about our immigration solidarity work here.
Juneteenth weekend!
On Friday, June 19 and all through the weekend we honor the commemoration of the ending of slavery. It took two years after the Emancipation Proclamation for all enslaved people in the US to get free, and Juneteenth commemorates this day in Texas in 1865. This current movement for Black lives and Black liberation shows that the fight is nowhere near over, that we still fight for Black people, as well as the entire multiracial working class, to get truly free. This weekend, we celebrate and honor those who have fought before while continuing the fight to defund the police and tear down the whole racist, capitalist system.
On Friday, June 19, the ILWU, International Longshore and Warehouse Union, will shut down all ports on the West Coast for a Juneteenth strike, in solidarity with the uprising for Black lives. Seattle DSA will be out in support. Please join us! Meet us at 9AM at the Local 19 hall parking lot (3440 E Marginal Way S) to march to Pier 46 for the rally that starts at 10AM. Facebook event for more information here. DSA will be there in solidarity as an organized presence; wear your DSA shirt if possible!
Please join other Juneteenth events throughout the weekend:
Friday, Juneteenth at 2PM: March & People’s Assembly organized by King County Equity Now
Friday, Juneteenth at 10AM: March for Justice & Equality in Ballard, organized by Justice for Black Lives
Finally, please join us TONIGHT at 6PM at the Charleena Lyles remembrance vigil
Please join fellow DSA members as we stand in solidarity with Charleena Lyles family and community. Today is the third anniversary of Charleena Lyles death at the hands of Seattle police. Her family invites us to stand in solidarity with them as they continue to fight for justice. Facebook event here.
In solidarity,
Seattle DSA
